Return of the "Death Panel" Myth is a "Travesty," Says Dr. Atul Gawande As Republicans take control of the House today, GOP leaders say they will immediately try to repeal President Obama’s signature healthcare law. Even before the repeal vote takes place, Republicans can lay claim to a key victory in the healthcare battle. This week the Obama administration said it would reverse a regulation that would have covered end-of-life planning for Medicare beneficiaries during their annual checkups after Republicans revived the specter of so-called "death panels." We spend the hour with one of the most influential health policy writers in the country, renowned surgeon and author Dr. Atul Gawande.
Dr. Atul Gawande: Solitary Confinement is Torture The physical and psychological effects experienced by people held for extended periods in solitary confinement is a topic Dr. Atul Gawande has written extensively about. Yesterday, four prisoners in the supermax Ohio State Penitentiary launched a hunger strike to protest being held for more than 17 years years in solitary confinement. The alleged WikiLeaks whistleblower, U.S. Army Private Bradley Manning, has also been held in solitary confinement for much of the past seven months. "People experience solitary confinement as even more damaging than physical torture," says Dr. Gawande.